Bruce Bascand, managing director of Christchurch print and design firm Caxton, was determined to save the business after its iconic CBD factory was destroyed in the devastating earthquake of 2011.
“Our building was in the red zone so we were immediately locked out. But on the second day a couple of us managed to get inside the building and we pulled out all of our servers,” Bascand told Print21. “We were forced to run the company out of our sales manager’s house for a while, and we ran the art shop out of my house. Then 33 of us were crammed into a tiny temporary location for a couple of years but we just had to make the most of it.
Caxton, formerly The Caxton Press, this month opened its new custom-built NZ$4.8m building in Wigram, Christchurch, just over four years since the quake. The original stained glass windows and front door from the old building have been incorporated into the new premises.
“It’s been a stressful time and a real battle but the new building is fantastic and three times the size of the old building. It gives us greater capacity and allows us to deliver a higher level of service to our customers. While the quake was devastating to the whole city, it gave us a chance to relocate and build Caxton’s base. It was also a chance to rebrand and refresh with an eye on the future and we look forward to exciting times ahead,” said Bascand.
Meanwhile, across town in Linwood, offset UV printing specialist Permanent Press says its sales have finally returned to pre-earthquake levels. The company’s headquarters suffered serious damage in the quake when an internal wall collapsed over machinery. “We were just lucky that no staff were injured,” co-owner Mark Feldwick told PrintNZ.
Permanent Press relocated to new premises in March 2014 and the old building was demolished. Feldwick thanked his staff for the recovery of business. “Having loyal staff is the key to success in any business. 22 February 2011 is a day we will never forget.”